


Confession

by Princesszellie



Series: Prompts and Drabbles [14]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: chaleigh, chuck is in dangerous waters, emo!Chaleigh, herc is gonna die, raleigh better watch out, this could end badly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 23:48:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3915235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princesszellie/pseuds/Princesszellie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie has something super important to tell his Dad....but said Dad is probably not ready to hear it. Someone might die....but he's gonna tell him anyway. Herc is in a for a shock....maybe....but he definitely won't be thrilled by this news.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Confession

“Daddy….Can we talk about something?”

Herc’s head snapped up from his tablet screen. Shit. Any conversation that started with ‘ _Daddy_ ’ in that tone of voice usually ended in inner turmoil and a sleepless night. Great.

“Of course baby,” he set the tablet down and patted the sofa cushion next to him. Chuck shuffled over, still warm and damp from his pre-bedtime shower, and plopped down close but at a telling distance away from him. Hmm….

“What’s on your mind kiddo?”

Charlie picked at a clump of Max hair, clearly stalling. Ugh. Why was this going to be so hard? How could he tell Dad about him and Raleigh without some sort of atomic blow out? Should he dance around it a bit or just rip the Band-Aid off fast and get it over with? Decisions, decisions.

Herc watched Chuck’s face with interest. This must be a doozy. _Fantastic._ He felt that waiting for Charlie to say whatever it was in his own time was critical so they sat in silence while the boy screwed up his courage. This totally felt like a confession….oh dear god did Herc _not_ like the thought of that.

As he waited his mind went wild….There were so many things a teenage boy might need to confess to his Father: fights, crimes, trysts….oh shit…this had to do with that fucking Raleigh Becket! God damn it!

Chuck was chewing a hole in his lip, and the blood kept rushing in and draining out of his face in turns. Okay, just do it. Be a man and just say it out loud! Okay…here went nothing except his whole life….

He took a deep breath, which Herc noticed and knew to be the wind up, and looked his Father straight in the eye. “Dad….Raleigh and I…are _together._ ” There he said it. That wasn’t so bad….oh…wait….

Herc’s stomach went cold as his heart dropped into it a warp speed. Holy shit. There was the pitch and it was a fastball to the brainpan. Okay yeah, it wasn’t at all unexpected…but still it was hard to think that his baby was grown up enough to be in a _relationship._ Oh Charlie, the tiny little screaming machine in whose crib Herc and once contorted himself into and spent an uncomfortable night sleeping in to placate; his little wide eyed wonderer who used to hunt the yard for weird bugs and rocks; who apparently without his noticing had grown up and fallen in love for the first time.

As all this (and more) raced through Herc’s mind, Chuck took his silence for some sort of damnation. Well his life was over for sure. At first he picked nervously at his peeling red nail polish but as his panic began to rise all he could do was stare at Dad. Say something… _anything_! The silence was literally killing him.

Herc zoned back into the present and became painfully aware of those huge, soul searching green eyes burning into him. Oh god now what…no…not tears, anything but that. He met Charlie’s gaze and tried to keep his cool. “So…..it’s serious yeah?”

Chuck only nodded at first but managed to stammer out a “Yeah.”

“Well,” Herc signed, “I can’t say that I’m surprised really…”

“Really?” Chuck looked up at him again, still scared.

“Yeah really. You two have been love-birding around for _months_.” He rolled his eyes.

Oh. Guess Dad was less oblivious then he let on. “So….you’re not mad…?”

Herc was genuinely affronted he would even ask or think that! “Of course not Charlie! Why on earth would I be mad?”

Charlie only shrugged and looked down at his hands again, leaving several reasons unsaid hanging in the air between them.

“Hey, look at me,” Herc gently tipped Charlie’s chin up so he could look into his face. “I would never be mad at you for finding someone you love, no matter _who_ they are. Raleigh is a… nice boy, and if I didn’t like him do you really think I would let him hang around my baby?”

A flush of mortification rose to Chuck’s cheeks, which was a lovely. Maybe he didn’t suck at this Dad thing after all. “Come here…” He pulled Charlie closer and the boy settled in the curve of his side in his usual spot. He was still tense, so the issue wasn’t over clearly.

“So…..it’s okay if we go out and stuff?” Chuck was softly petting Herc’s arm in a self-soothing gesture like he would Max, who was smartly avoiding this conflict and probably snoring in one of their bedrooms.

Herc snorted. “Well that depends….”

Chuck looked up at him, the frightened expression on his face again. Now was the time for fear…the fear of the god known as Dad. He tightened the arm encircling Chuck’s ribs a little to keep his attention. After letting the panic seep back in for a few seconds, he realized he had no idea what he was doing- or what he was going to say.

God damn it! Herc was not at all prepared to have ‘the talk’ with his 16 year old son who had just confirmed his preference for boys. He was positive this was not covered in the Dad Training Manual he had never read. He was going to fly by the seat of his pants for this one that was for sure.

“Charlie,” he squeezed him gently, “I’m your Father and I love you. More than anything on this planet…” He ignored the quiet whine of distress and embarrassment that was leaking out of Chuck’s soul. “I just want you to be careful.”

Chuck blushed and looked down. Ugh. This was getting worse, if that were at all possible. He didn’t want to talk about _that_ stuff with Dad! Someone make it stop! Please for the love of god….

Herc plowed on, he had started this and by god he would finish it. “You know what I’m saying right Charlie, always be _safe_ ….”

“Ugh! Dad!! Stop!! It’s not like that!!” Chuck thrashed in his arms in an attempt to escape this heinous suffering. Death would be better than this!

Dad held on to him easily. “I’m glad to hear that.” God was he _so_ relieved to know that things had not progressed that far. Thank heaven for small miracles. Legit. “And I would like it to stay that way. None of _that_ in this house you hear?”

The whining had reached the highest pitch of distress. “You hear me Charles?” he pressed.

“Yes Dad!” Chuck squawked just to shut him up, “No sex in the house!”

“Or anywhere! Your barely 16. Neither of you needs to cross that line at this age. Don’t mess up your life at the beginning of it….” The change in his voice caught Chuck’s ear and he looked up at him. There was something hiding there under those words, he just didn’t know what it was, but Dad looked a little sad.

“We won’t Dad…I promise.” He rested his head on Herc’s shoulder and gazed up at him with what he hoped was his most innocent and adoring look. It seemed to be working as Herc gently pressed a kiss to his forehead. Always one to push his luck, “We can still go out on dates right?”

Herc snorted, “That’s what you two have been up to anyway isn’t it? You’re just making it official now is all.”

The blush was a giveaway as Herc knew from personal experience in similar situations. “Of course…the old rules still apply.” Curfew, houses with adults, no unsupervised alone time- ugh that one just got way more critical.

Charlie smiled up at him happily, “Thanks Daddy.”

Herc was not going to let him off that easily, “I _am_ going to have a little chat with Raleigh…he has to know the rules for dating my son.” The smile flickered and was replaced by the most primal and genuine fear ever to grace that beautiful visage.

“Dad….” Chuck felt a cold sweat start along his spine.

“Shh. It’s fine. I won’t chase the delicate little flower off…he just needs to know what he’s getting into. And the consequences if he hurts you or breaks your heart.” He’d put him in the ground, that’s what he would do. Raleigh seemed like a smart kid, and more importantly an easy scare. Herc didn’t anticipate any problems, but as a Father this was his duty- and because he would enjoy doing it was just icing on the cake.

Charlie sighed and sprawled out. Fine, Dad could do his worst, he knew Raleigh wouldn’t be frightened…especially if he gave him a heads up first. That really had gone well; better than expected actually. Dad had taken it so calmly…he pressed his face softly against Herc’s neck affectionately. Herc smiled and ruffled his hair. “Love you Dad….”

Ah, another dangerous sentence that generally was spoken with teenage sarcasm to manipulate him, but Herc knew it was genuine this time. This kid was his _world_. He was perfect- even with all his weird idiosyncrasies and quirks- he was Herc’s reason for living. “Love you too baby doll.” He whispered into Charlie’s red-gold hair. And maybe… _someday_ ….he would come to love Raleigh too; since something in his gut was telling him this was a long haul thing.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hahah. Raleigh better get right with god.....cause he's getting the shovel talk! I would not want to be in his shoes right now...Herc will pull out all the stops for this. There will be tears....from both boys. ;)
> 
> Boundaries Herc, now is the time! Get on that! 
> 
> Also....I LOVE calling him "daddy". Don't judge me.


End file.
